Phase II Trial of Sorafenib Combined With Concurrent Transarterial Chemoembolization With Drug-Eluting Beads for Hepatocellular Carcinoma Timothy M. Pawlik, Diane K. Reyes, David Cosgrove, Ihab R. Kamel, Nikhil Bhagat, and Jean-Francois H. Geschwind J Clin Oncol 29: R1 변종규 / prof. 백선경

 Hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC) is the fifth most common cancer worldwide  Survival of patients with unresectable advanced HCC is poor, with 1-, 3-, and 5-year survival rates of 29%, 8%, and 0%.  Sorafenib has been shown to improve overall survival among patients with advanced HCC  Sorafenib inhibits angiogenesis by targeting the vascular endothelial growth factor receptor 2 (VEGFR2) and platelet-derived growth factor receptor (PDGFR) pathway while also blocking cell proliferation by targeting the Ras/mitogen-activated protein kinase signaling pathway.  Intra-arterial therapy, usually in the form of conventional transarterial chemoembolization (cTACE), can increase survival in selected patients with inoperable intermediate HCC (Barcelona Clinic Liver Cancer [BCLC] stage B), with 1-, 2- and 3-year survival of 75%, 47% and 26%, respectively.  Recently, drug-eluting bead (DEB)–TACE has emerged as a method to enhance drug delivery and reduce systemic drug exposure compared with conventional cTACE.  Several clinical trials have shown that DEB-TACE yielded response rates in the range of 70% to 80% and decreased adverse effects when compared with cTACE. INTRODUCTION

 An increase in plasma VEGF levels after TACE has been well documented and may be a potential cause of recurrent disease.  After TACE, the tumor microenvironment becomes deranged with increased hypoxia, leading to an upregulation in hypoxia inducible factor-1 α, which in turn upregulates VEGF and PDGFR and increases tumor angiogenesis.  As a result, there has been interest in combining antiangiogenic targeted agents with TACE to decrease post-TACE angiogenesis and improve the efficacy of locoregional therapy as well as possibly decreasing the incidence of systemic disease.  Whether combining sorafenib with DEB-TACE is safe, well tolerated, and efficacious remains unknown, with no prospective clinical data currently available.  We therefore conducted a prospective single-center, single-arm phase II trial to evaluate the safety and efficacy of sorafenib combined with DEB-TACE in patients with unresectable HCC. INTRODUCTION

 Patients (age 18 years or older) with a diagnosis of unresectable HCC based on histology obtained by needle biopsy or a hypervascular lesion on cross- sectional imaging and α -fetoprotein level of 200 ng/mL or greater were evaluated.  Eligibility criteria included: Eastern Cooperative Oncology Group performance status of 0 to 1; adequate bone marrow (leukocyte count > 3,000 cells/ μ L, absolute neutrophil count ≥ 1,500/ μ L, platelet count ≥ 50,000/ μ L), renal (creatinine ≤ 2.0 mg/dL), and cardiac (left ventricular ejection fraction ≥ 45%) function life expectancy of more than 12 weeks. Child-Pugh liver function of A to B7, with ALT and AST less than eight times upper limit of normal, as well as total bilirubin of less than 3 mg/dL and albumin greater than 2.0 mg/dL.  Exclusion criteria included: hepatic tumor burden of more than 70%, presence of extrahepatic disease, complete occlusion of the entire portal venous system, uncontrolled hypertension (≥ 150/100 mm/Hg), evidence of bleeding diathesis or coagulopathy, concomitant HIV infection, and second primary malignancy. Patients who had undergone embolization, hepatic radiation, or systemic therapy were also excluded. PATIENTS AND METHODS PATIENTS AND METHODS Study Population and Eligibility

 Patients were treated on a 6-week cycle regimen, in which one cycle consisted of sorafenib (400mg twice daily, initiated 1 week before DEB-TACE) administered continuously and DEB-TACE performed during week 2 (ie, 1 week after initiation of sorafenib)  An interim analysis demonstrated a good safety profile of combination therapy with no increase in grade 3 to 4 toxicity as compared with existing data on patients treated with DEB-TACE or sorafenib alone.  During subsequent cycles (ie, cycle two and beyond), all patients received continuous sorafenib, DEB-TACE in week 2 (when indicated), and laboratory assessment during week 5.  Treatment continued until occurrence of unacceptable toxicities, sorafenib interruption exceeding 30 days, or disease progression.  Dose reductions (ie, 400 mg once daily, 400 mg every other day) and drug interruptions were allowed for toxicities. If additional dose reductions were required, patient participation in the study was discontinued. PATIENTS AND METHODS Study Design

 The primary end points were safety and toxicity associated with combined sorafenib plus DEB-TACE in patients with unresectable HCC.  Efficacy was the secondary end point. Tumor response of the targeted lesions was evaluated with contrast-enhanced and diffusion-weighted MRI Response was assessed by size (Response Evaluation Criteria in Solid Tumors Group [RECIST]), enhancement (European Association for the Study of the Liver [EASL] criteria) Complete response, partial response, stable disease, and progressive disease were calculated using both RECIST and EASL criteria.  Toxicity profiles were grouped by cycle (cycle one v ≥ two) and severity (grade 1 to 2 v 3 to 4).  Assessment of liver function was stratified by whether the patient had a sorafenib treatment break and baseline bilirubin.  Comparisons were made using paired t tests, and all statistical tests were two sided. P values were reported, with a P value less than.05 considered statistically significant. PATIENTS AND METHODS PATIENTS AND METHODS Study End Points and Data Analysis

RESULT

RESULT Patient Characteristics

RESULT RESULT Safety and Treatment Toxicity

Bar graph depicting toxicities stratified by (A) week 1, cycle one (sorafenib only; > 10% toxicity occurrence) (B) cycle one (sorafenib plus doxorubicin- eluting beads–transarterial chemoembolization; ≥ 25% toxicity occurrence) (C) cumulative toxicity (≥ 25% toxicity occurrence) associated with two or more to six cycles. ALB, albumin; AP, activator protein; HFSR, hand-foot- skin reaction; INR, international normalized ratio; NS, nonspecific; Phos, phosphorous; RUQ, right upper quadrant; TBILI, total bilirubin

RESULT RESULT Safety and Treatment Toxicity

RESULT RESULT Efficacy

 The current study is the first prospective phase II study to our knowledge to examine the combination of sorafenib and DEB-TACE in patients with unresectable HCC.  Toxicities were manageable, because most were grade 1 to 2, and there were no treatment-related deaths.  The toxicity profile of sorafenib plus DEB-TACE was similar to that of sorafenib alone, with fatigue, anorexia, and dermatologic adverse effects among the most common. Although it is difficult to discern between DEB-TACE– and sorafenib-related toxicities, it is interesting to note that the toxicity profile for sorafenib plus DEB-TACE was similar to those noted in the SHARP and Asia-Pacific sorafenib-only trials (constitutional and dermatalogic).  Over the course of the study, there were 40 sorafenib dose interruptions as well as 25 dose reductions, most commonly for HFSR. By reducing the dose of sorafenib, subsequent emergent toxicity was lower. Discussion

 Combined modality therapy with sorafenib plus DEB-TACE did not seem to affect AST, ALT, or total bilirubin levels in most patients.  Among those patients with normal baseline bilirubin level who had no sorafenib break, bilirubin levels after therapy remained stable.  However, patients who had elevated baseline total bilirubin (> 2 mg/dL) and no sorafenib treatment break before or after DEB-TACE were found to have marked and persistent elevated total bilirubin after DEB-TACE  Although DEB-TACE may confer some protection against liver toxicity over cTACE, our data suggest that use of combined sorafenib plus DEB-TACE may need to be considered more cautiously in those patients who present with elevated bilirubin. Discussion

 The combination of sorafenib and DEB-TACE in patients with unresectable HCC is well tolerated and safe, with most toxicities related to sorafenib. Toxicity is manageable with dose adjustment of sorafenib.  Collectively, data from our study and these other emerging trials should help determine whether the combination of sorafenib plus DEB-TACE will become the standard of care for patients with unresectable HCC. Conclusion